Tuesday

The power of nature is shown here as was witnessed during the tsunami several weeks ago in Japan. This footage takes place in the Japanese city of Kesennuma as it is shown being swept away by powerful surging waves from the ocean for over 5 minutes. 1st and 2nd story buildings are toppled with no effort and whole parking lots of cars are washed away. Emergency sirens wail throughout the destruction although there was little time to escape from the wrath of Mother Nature. This video will take your breath away!




Under a draft decree laying down the conditions and limits within which exceptions to the prohibitions of destruction may be granted by the prefects on the wolf, a public consultation is being held until April 11, 2011.


There is therefore urgent to act NOW!

If this order were to come into effect, it would mean the total destruction of the wolf in France, because anti-wolf people would hide behind the shooting of the wolf as a means of defense and prevention of herd destruction to carry out their grisly task.

Indeed, ASPAS denounces the very principle of this proposal of the shooting of the wolf claiming that it will not solve any problems because:

• These measures aim to limit the expansion of the wolf and not, to reduce damages to the herds;
• the concept of "important" injury is questionable: 1 attack in the year or 2 attacks over the past two years;
• the concept of "protected herd " is not precisely defined;
• by shooting one wolf, haphazardly, this will only increase the risk of destabilizing the organization of the pack and ultimately to increase the "damages" to the herds;
• It will be now possible to allow the shooting of wolves around herds even though they are not protected and there is no damage, but only because they are close to a herd;
• shooting of wolves may take place outside the presence of cattle, so it is not designed to prevent damage;
• the wolf remains a protected species, the operations of shooting should not be entrusted to hunters, but should remain the responsibility of the state and its services. However, hunters will now be allowed to participate in the shooting operations.

It is also worth remembering:

• that the wolf plays (with other large predators) the role of dispersion on wild ungulates (deer, roe deer, chamois ...) and consequently on the reduction of forest damage (browsing, debarking) and on forest regeneration ;
• that it self-regulates;
• that its presence has eliminated attacks from stray dogs;
• that he has an undeniable value on developing eco-tourism in mountainous regions;
• and that he is unwittingly an ally of the hunter, as it ensures the good health status of populations of ungulates and other species known as "game".

So to help the wolf, PLEASE send an e-mail in which you express your comments to this address:
protocole.loup@developpement-durable.gouv.fr

The team of "ASPAS" and "Mille Traces"
READ THIS ARTICLE IN FRENCH





les loups par cheyennee

Susan Seddon-Boulet is considered one of the founders of the visionary art movement in the United States. Her paintings are found in art collections around the world. Her art takes on a muted, magical quality and it takes us to places we have never visited but which we remember in our hearts.

Although her early work was more light hearted and simpler, painting in bright colors of fantasy and medieval figures, she eventually evolved into very complex images of anthropomorphic animals, Goddesses and Shamans. Her inspiration came from a wide variety of sources: mythology and poetry, Jungian psychology and worldwide spiritual traditions, as well as a deep love of animals and the natural world.

There is a fairy tale quality to her work, of childhood dreams of fairies and castles and magic. Her artwork has a tendency to have a profound influence on the lives that it touches. When her art was being exhibited, Susan would always try to attend these showings and took great pleasure in meeting all who came to see her work. She was described as a very empathetic, warm and charming woman.


Susan Eleanor Seddon was born in Brazil in 1941, of English parents who had emigrated from South Africa. She grew up without her mother who passed away in childbirth with her brother. Her early childhood took place growing up on a large citrus farm in Brazil and it was here that she developed her love of nature and was encouraged by her father to begin drawing. She love the fairy and folk tales she heard from her father and the workers on the farm and developed a rich fantasy life. Being very religious also, she had at one time contemplated becoming a nun, but her father being dismayed at this, sent her away to a Swiss boarding school and this is where she began her training as an artist.


In 1967, Susan came to the U.S. and met her husband, Lawrence Boulet who took a very active role in promoting her artwork and encouraging her. After his death, Susan would make yearly trips back to Brazil to inspire herself as an artist and to nurture her soul. It was during this time that Susan became a very noted San Fransico Bay Area artist. Sadly, she died in Oakland, CA on April 28, 1997 after a long struggle with cancer but today her art continues to live on with it's deep universal appeal of fantasy and magical images.

Art by Susan Boulet



Link To Susan Seddon-Boulet : Shaman: The Paintings of Susan Seddon Boulet

Sunday

Once upon a time in a faraway land called Germany, a cute little fluffy white Polar Bear was born in a zoo in the city of Berlin. He was given the name of Knut. The year was 2006 on the 5th of December and it was the first time in 30 years that a Polar Bear had been born at the zoo. But all was not well as his mother soon rejected poor little Knut and his twin brother. Knut survived by being bottle fed around the clock but his twin brother did not make it. From then on Knut became an international star as he grew up in front of the world. As bright as his star would become it would soon dim and eventually be extinguished in tragedy.

Keeper Thomas Doerflein had saved his life by hand-rearing him and Knut and Thomas had developed a very close bond. They spent many wonderful days together during the next 2 years. But their bond was abruptly broken in September 2008, when Doerflein died suddenly from a heart attack. Speculation was that because Doerflein had been recently banned from Knut's enclosure due to the fact that Knut had become too dangerous, that Doerflein had reportedly died from a broken heart.

It was at this sad time that Knut's bright star began to dim. Yes, he was still well known internationally and had made a lot of money for the Berlin Zoo, to the grand sum of £6million ($8.5million). But Knut soon grew depressed and lonesome after the death of his best friend and keeper, Thomas Doerflein. A female Polar bear was then brought in for a short time and Knut did better until she was returned to the zoo in Italy.

Once again, Knut became depressed so he was then moved into an enclosure with Tosca, his mother who had rejected him, and 2 other female Polar Bears. But soon visitors began complaining that the trio had been ganging up on Knut and threatening him, and that he often sat hiding in a corner of the enclosure looking depressed. Canadian polar bear expert Else Poulsen was reported to have said just last month that Knut's life with three other polar bears was "monotonous, outdated and cruel," and that he was losing fur and didn't have enough muscle for a four-year-old. He just didn't have enough room for himself and was under enormous stress.

Then on that fateful day of March 19th, 2011 ,Knut who was only 4 years old, collapsed and died in front of a crowd of 660 visitors at the zoo. He began to convulse for several minutes and then abruptly fell into the pool and floated ­motionless as horrified onlookers watched and children began to cry. His once bright star was quickly extinguished.

Since then the Berlin Zoo has been loudly criticized from a local member of parliament, animal rights groups and wild life experts that it had been cramming too many animals into too little space, including celebrity polar bear Knut, whose premature death could have been avoided. An autopsy has just found that Knut had died after suffering an epileptic fit and falling into the water.

Photo femepsa


Only to add insult to injury, the Berlin Zoo has made a recent announcement that the remains of Knut will be stuffed and put on display at the museum. During his short life, (Polar Bears can live up to 20 yrs. in captivity) Knut was a big money maker for the zoo. Now in his premature death, this sad bear should be allowed to rest in peace and dignity and not be exploited once again as a money draw for the museum. The zoo is claiming that this is what the people of Germany would want, but in reality this is far from what the people want. They just want to honor the tragic life of a very special and very misunderstood Polar Bear who only wanted to live in peace!

Please take a minute to sign several petitions that are against using Knut as a stuffed money maker. Let him be at rest with his dignity for all eternity!

Knut gehört nicht ins Museum

Zoo contact info to let them know you don't want Knut to be stuffed and on display:
Dr. Bernhard Blaszkiewitz / Director of Zoo and Tierpark Berlin
Gabriele Thöne / Member of board of directors
Hardenbergplatz 8
10787 Berlin
Tel.: +49 30 254 01 232
Fax: +49 30 254 01 255
E-Mail: info@zoo-berlin.de

Petition against stuffing Knut.

Video : Tragic life of Knut

Friday

Earth Day is celebrated every year to remind us of how important it is to take care of and walk gently upon our Mother Earth.

 It has become very apparent that we must act now to implement plans to make Earth Day an "Every Day" event. Our Earth has become very damaged and we as humans are the ones who are responsible. It is now critical that we make the changes to save our Earth - there are no more tomorrows left.

A Brief History of why we celebrate Earth Day -

The first Earth Day was celebrated by 20 million Americans nationwide. It took place on April 22, 1970 and was an attempt to take action to make positive environmental changes in our local communities and to give us a better understanding of how we effect the earth. It was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson who had the vision that unless we began to treat our planet in a more responsible way, it would be too late.

This humble start in America set a powerful precedent for the rest of the world, with the result of more than 140 nations around the globe to organize their own Earth Days. Now many millions of people world wide have started grassroots campaigns to change the way we handle waste, recycling, power consumption, and conservation in general. It is now one of the most attended organizational events ever and has even been referred to as " the largest secular holiday" ever.


What you can do -

This year there are an amazing number of wonderful events that will take place around the world as people come together to make important changes to protect our environment. In the U.S. there will be recycling drives, rallies and teach-ins for all to join in. New technologies and legislation will also be discussed by keynote speakers as many current technologies are counterproductive to the long term health of our planet. The earth has given so much to us as her inhabitants. It is now imperative that we give back what we have taken. Please join in and make a pledge that you will now live as though Everyday is Earth Day!

VIDEO

The Dire Wolf (Cainus Dirus) was a prehistoric wolf that was closely related to the Gray wolf that we know today. There are however no descendants from this species of wolf today. They coexisted with the Gray wolf for about 100,000 years and were dominant in North and Central America. About 10,000 years they suddenly became extinct whereas the Gray Wolf who traveled to the Americas from EurAsia continued to thrive.

The Dire Wolve's appearance and behavior was similar to the Gray Wolf but there were also major differences. They were larger than the Gray, weighed about 150 lbs. which is about 70 lbs more than the Gray wolf. They also had a much larger skull and jaw and their teeth were much larger and stronger. The Dire wolf would hunt in large packs of at least 30 wolves. And they would go after prey that was 10 times their size. Whereas Gray Wolves will seek out the weak and sick animals, the Dire wolves would go after the strongest. Because they traveled in such large packs, they needed to feed a lot of wolves.

Dire Wolves used to hunt in super packs of 30 wolves. Their main staple of food was the horse and the bison, who were both large and potentially dangerous to the wolves with the use of their hooves.
The lead wolf would attack and bring down the prey and then the rest of the pack would finish off the animal. Dire wolves also had major food competitors such as the Short-Nosed Bear and the Sabor Tooth tiger which weighed about 600 lbs. The Dire Wolves quickly devoured the prey animal and would even eat the bones to survive. We know alot about this wolf because 3,600 of them were found in the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles about 100 yrs. ago.

Then coinciding with the end of the last glacial period, the explosion of a comet over North America and the arrival of humans in North America about 16,000 yrs. ago, most of the large mammals that the Dire Wolf depended on for food began to die out. Because the Dire Wolf was much slower than the other wolf species such as the Grey Wolf and Red Wolf, it could not hunt the swifter species that remained and was forced to subsist on scavenging. 10,000 years ago, the large mammals and the Dire Wolf had become extinct.

Photo © National Geographic

VIDEO

Thursday

Today at 8.25pm local time an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 hit northeastern Burma along the borders of Thailand and Laos. No initial reports of casualties or damage have been reported however approximately 600,000 people would have felt strong to violent shaking. Residential homes in this area are very vulnerable to moderate to heavy damage because they are made of mostly wood and unreinforced brick construction so reports of damage are to be expected. Landslides are also more prone to happen in these hilly areas when seismic activity occurs.

The nearest populated city was Mae Sai, with a population of 28,000. Effects were also felt in Bangkok, Thailand where buildings were reported to have swayed. People were also been said to have felt it in Hanoi, Vietnam. Because the area is so far inland though, no tsunamis will be a result of this quake.

Photo swedagon

To put the magnitude into perspective by comparison, the January 2010 earthquake that killed 230,000 people in Haiti was measured at 7.0; the February 2010 earthquake that shook Chile was rated at 6.8; and the Japan earthquake on March 11 was a 9.0 magnitude event.


Agrandir le plan

Tuesday

The Swedish Hunt :
The lynx hunting season opened up on March 1st and will
run until April 15th.The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has given permission to kill 110 out of the now estimated 1200-1500
Swedish lynx there are left. So far 75 of them have been killed from
the different counties. The highest quotas were issued for the
northern provinces where the lynx pose a treat for the reindeer
herds. Despite the fact that the lynx roam over a wide territory,very few people in Sweden have ever seen one in the wild. This is because the lynx is very elusive and shy and keep to themselves.

Animal protection organizations have long criticized the Environmental Protection Agency for allowing the hunt and the use of traps to catch the lynx. The traps are a cause of great suffering
for the animals.
The main reason given for the hunt of the lynx is to protect domestic animals along with the reindeer. The Swedish government has stated that a hunt may not take place if the annual population is less then 300 animals.however the hunt has been allowed to continue when the annual population has been as low as 200 animals. And despite the fact that the European Union Commission forbids hunting during the mating season,this has also been allowed to occur.For this reason the EU commission has declared the hunt to be illegal.

The history of the lynx in Sweden:
In the early 1800´s Sweden had many lynx throughout the whole
country. But during the years to follow the population of the lynx was drastically reduced due to industrialism and the growing human population.The lynx was then forced to move farther north causing a reduction in their numbers. In the early 1900´s the lynx became almost extinct in Sweden. Because of that they were protected during a period between 1927-1942 which led to their return. By the 1980´s they were once again all throughout the whole country but in the years to follow they began again to drastically disappear.By the time the lynx were protected again in 1991 , the population of them was estimated to only a few hundreds of them.
Today's population of the Swedish lynx is being compromised once again due to poaching, traffic fatalities, and the annual hunt of them.
They are now on the red (endangered )list and if nothing is done about this situation we can lose yet another Great animal to extinction in Sweden! Elsewhere in Scandinavia such as Finland and Norway the lynx situation is said to be stable. Denmark and Iceland do not have any known populations of the lynx.

The lynx in other European countries:
The situation for the lynx in many other European countries is
critical also. In the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Italy the lynx is now extinct. In the 17th century in Britain the lynx was wiped out, but recently there has been calls to reintroduce them in order to curb the overpopulation of deer. The critically endangered Iberian lynx lives in southern Spain and eastern Portugal. Their numbers were so low that killing them has been outlawed since the 1970´s.

Photo Klaus Buchman

The Lynx in North America:
The Canadian lynx lives in Canada and parts of the U.S. such as Michigan and Wisconsin. In the Western part of the U.S. there are lynx also. These animals have specific habitats that they seek out such as dense horizontal cover. A narrow habitat tolerance and an ever-narrowing habitat make for a grim combination and the endangerment of the lynx.


This beautiful animal has been tormented and hunted to (near) extinction throughout the ages. They deserve their place in our world , also to live in freedom. Man must find a way to live along side of them so that they may flourish once again.Please take a minute to make a difference for the lynx and sign the petitions below. Thank you!

Swedish Lynx Petition
(Please stop hunting of Lynx in Sweden)

Canadian Lynx ~ Endangered - The Petition Site

Petition for the U.S. (Help Save the Lynx)

Save the Iberian Lynx From Extinction - The Petition Site


Who will save the Earth in her darkest hour of need?

The earth is in dire need of salvation. She is no longer the healthy and beautiful planet ,our home, that she once was. Once she was strong and self sustaining - that was until she met her last inhabitants, the human race. At first it was love at first sight, as man continued to live and respect her laws of nature. All creatures lived off of the land and in harmony.

But man soon had bigger ideas. It was hard work to live as a hunting and gathering society. He thought there must be an easier way to exist? So he developed an agrarian lifestyle with some of the animals kept as livestock. He soon discovered the power he had by selling his crops and livestock to others. The lure of making more money then developed to other lifestyles throughout time such as living in towns with small craftman shops to eventually large cities with huge polluting factories.

Greed took away any concern as to how the earth was being effected. In order to keep expanding man had to clear more land of the oxygen producing and cooling trees. Factories belched out toxic fumes that began to erode away the atmosphere's protective layer of ozone and increase the earth's temperature. And then the climates started to change. The earth began to speak out loudly and fight back with catastrophic natural events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, devastating floods and deadly tsunamis.

We have now fast forwarded to the way things are today. We are the current inhabitants of a very sick and angry Mother Earth. So who will save her and us? There is a prophetic Cree legend that says just when things seem the bleakest, there will be those who will speak out and lead others back to the ways where man, the animals and Mother Earth all lived in harmony. All will not be lost if only we will listen and return to those ways. The following legend of the "Eyes of Fire" tells of this prophecy. .

(Image Richard Hook )

CREE PROPHECY

Warriors of the Rainbow

Last century an old wise woman of the Cree Indian nation, named "Eyes of Fire", had a vision of the future. She prophesied that one day, because of the white mans' or Yo-ne-gis' greed, there would come a time, when the earth being ravaged and polluted, the forests being destroyed, the birds would fall from the air, the waters would be blackened, the fish being poisoned in the streams, and the trees would no longer be, mankind as we would know it would all but cease to exist. There would come a time when the "keepers of the legend, stories, culture rituals, and myths, and all the Ancient Tribal Customs" would be needed to restore us to health, making the earth green again. They would be mankind's key to survival, they were the "Warriors of the Rainbow". There would come a day of awakening when all the peoples of all the tribes would form a New World of Justice, Peace, Freedom and recognition of the Great Spirit.

The "Warriors of the Rainbow" would spread these messages and teach all peoples of the Earth or "Elohi". They would teach them how to live the "Way of the Great Spirit". They would tell them of how the world today has turned away from the Great Spirit and that is why our Earth is "Sick".

The "Warriors of the Rainbow" would show the peoples that this "Ancient Being" (the Great Spirit), is full of love and understanding, and teach them how to make the "Earth or Elohi" beautiful again. These Warriors would give the people principles or rules to follow to make their path light with the world. These principles would be those of the Ancient Tribes. The Warriors of the Rainbow would teach the people of the ancient practices of Unity, Love and Understanding. They would teach of Harmony among people in all four corners of the Earth.

Like the Ancient Tribes, they would teach the peoples how to pray to the Great Spirit with love that flows like the beautiful mountain stream, and flows along the path to the ocean of life. Once again, they would be able to feel joy in solitude and in councils. They would be free of petty jealousies and love all mankind as their brothers, regardless of color, race or religion. They would feel happiness enter their hearts, and become as one with the entire human race. Their hearts would be pure and radiate warmth, understanding and respect for all mankind, Nature and the Great Spirit.

They would once again fill their minds, hearts, souls, and deeds with the purest of thoughts. They would seek the beauty of the Master of Life - the Great Spirit! They would find strength and beauty in prayer and the solitude of life.

Their children would once again be able to run free and enjoy the treasures of Nature and Mother Earth. Free from the fears of toxins and destruction, wrought by the Yo-ne-gi and his practices of greed. The rivers would again run clear, the forests be abundant and beautiful, the animals and birds would be replenished. The powers of the plants and animals would again be respected and conservation of all that is beautiful would become a way of life.

The poor, sick and needy would be cared for by their brothers and sisters of the Earth. These practices would again become a part of their daily lives.

The leaders of the people would be chosen in the old way - not by their political party, or who could speak the loudest, boast the most, or by name calling or mud slinging, but by those whose actions spoke the loudest. Those who demonstrated their love, wisdom and courage and those who showed that they could and did work for the good of all, would be chosen as the leaders or Chiefs. They would be chosen by their "quality" and not the amount of money they had obtained. Like the thoughtful and devoted "Ancient Chiefs", they would understand the people with love, and see that their young were educated with the love and wisdom of their surroundings. They would show them that miracles can be accomplished to heal this world of its ills, and restore it to health and beauty.

The tasks of these "Warriors of the Rainbow" are many and great. There will be terrifying mountains of ignorance to conquer and they shall find prejudice and hatred. They must be dedicated, unwavering in their strength, and strong of heart. They will find willing hearts and minds that will follow them on this road of returning "Mother Earth" to beauty and plenty - once more.

The day will come, it is not far away.

The day that we shall see how we owe our very existence to the people of all tribes that have maintained their culture and heritage. Those that have kept the rituals, stories, legends and myths alive. It will be with this knowledge, the knowledge that they have preserved, that we shall once again return to "harmony" with Nature, Mother Earth and mankind. It will be with this knowledge that we shall find our "Key to our Survival".
Manataka American Indian Council




This film was screened at the Calgary International Film Festival (won best documentary) and the Youth Cuts Film Festival in central Canada.

In this video the full moon is seen as it rises, Sunday early morning, on March 20, 2011, in France. The full moon was called a "Super Perigee Moon" since it was at it's closest to the Earth in 2011. The last full moon that was so big and close to the Earth occurred in March of 1993. This celestial moon was shining brighter than ever and it was higher in the sky.

Photo : Veronique Renaud

Moon Facts ~

1) It takes about 1.25 seconds for moonlight to reach the Earth.

2) A full Moon is nine times brighter than a half Moon.

3) All the Moons of the Solar System are named after Greek and Roman mythology, except the Moons of Uranus, which are named after Shakespearean characters.

4) The surface area of the Moon is 14,658,000 square miles or 9.4 billion acres.

5) Only 59% of the Moon's surface is visible from Earth.

6) The Moon is about a quarter of the size of the Earth.

7) When a month has two full moons, the second full moon is called a Blue Moon. Another definition of a Blue Moon is the third full Moon in any season (quarter of year) containing four total full moons.

8) The Moon rotates at 10 miles per hour compared to the Earth's rotation of 1,000 miles per hour.

9) The Moon's temperature ranges between 123º Celsius to 233º Celsius . It's really hot where the sun is shining and really cold where it's not.

10) Unlike the Earth, the Moon does not have a significant magnetic field, and it has no atmosphere.



Sunday

Being a Wolf

How long a person is living in terms of Wolf years is measured by how many winters one has survived. In this unforgiving land of harsh winters it is always counted as a blessing to have lived past another winter, thus the cycle of life is measured as such. A Wolf never counts the years , never uses a clock , because a clock does not measure the time, it only measures itself! A clock refers to another clock ! Time we cannot see it, we cannot hear it, it is a subjective sense of becoming. You can live outside of time if you can feel deeply in your inner self that time is just an illusion..It does not exist ! It has never existed...

You have no age. You are younger than some and older than others but You are as each day...New. You rise with the sun and dream with the moon. The seasons are Your blanket and your seeds of growth. You have been since the beginning of all time and You can never end. You are of the essence of all life; it is you and you are it and together we are everything. We cannot be separated. You are immortal.


Everything is new. Everything has never happened before. No longer are there familiar features in the world. You are now The Eyes of a Wolf. Everything you gaze at becomes nothing. The inexplicable forces will come to you. You are now surrounded by eternity...

Saturday night's "supermoon" appeared as planned, as the moon made its closest encounter to Earth since 1993. Full Moon really was a large Full Moon last night, reaching its exact full phase within an hour of lunar perigee, the point in the Moon's elliptical orbit closest to planet Earth.If you missed it, not to worry,have a look at these incredible supermoon photos from last night.

Supermoon

A "supermoon" is the coincidence of a full moon (or a new moon) with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit, or perigee, leading to the technical name for a supermoon of the perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system. The association of the Moon with both oceanic and crustal tides has led to claims that the supermoon phenomenon may be associated with increased risk of events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. However, the evidence of such a link is widely held to be unconvincing.
The Moon's distance varies each month between approximately 357,000 kilometers (222,000 mi) and 406,000 km (252,000 mi) due to its elliptical orbit around the Earth (distances given are center-to-center).

The size and brightness of an object follows an inverse-square law, which means that a full moon at perigee is 12% larger and brighter than an average full moon. However, because the offset of the moon's orbit versus its phases is only two days, this change in appearance is gradual from month to month and therefore is not usually noticeable to a casual observer.
Terminology

The name SuperMoon was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, defined as:

...a new or full moon which occurs with the Moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit (perigee). In short, Earth, Moon and Sun are all in a line, with Moon in its nearest approach to Earth.

The term supermoon is not widely accepted or used within the astronomy or scientific community, who prefer the term perigee-syzygy.[citation needed] Perigee is the point at which the Moon is closest in its orbit to the Earth, and syzygy is a full or new moon, when the Earth, the Moon and the Sun are aligned. Hence, a supermoon can be regarded as a combination of the two, although they do not perfectly coincide each time. Syzygy may occur within a maximum of 12 hours from perigee during a supermoon, and 1 hour from perigee during an extreme supermoon. (Wikipedia)



Image gienkhan

Image jonhohle

Image somecanuckchick









Fan Art

Friday

On March 11th, Japan was devastated by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake that was one of the largest on record. The earthquake then triggered a deadly tsunami that slammed into the east coast of Japan, leaving thousands of people dead, injured or missing.

In the days that have followed we have all been moved by the devastating scenes and traumatic stories about Japan that are literally unfolding before our eyes. We want to help our Japanese brothers and sisters since they are in desperate need of aid. Not only are the people there suffering and in need but the animals are also in need of rescue and shelter. In the past, Japan has also generously donated often when other countries have experienced disasters. It is now our turn to help them.

Here is a list of legitimate organizations that are working with those in Japan to assist them in this time of great need. Please donate to to the organization of your choice to help both the people and animals of Japan. Remember these words, " there but for the grace of God go I".

Image by Natalie Shau

AMERICAN RED CROSS

GLOBALGIVING

SAVE THE CHILDREN

SALVATION ARMY

AMERICARES

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS

SHELTERBOX

Share Google’s Person Finder tool.

Doctors Without Borders

Animal organizations for Japan.

International Aid for Animals.

5 Ways You Can Help Animals In Japan

Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Source : Yahoo News

Thursday

March 19th "Super Moon" ~ A cosmic event of beauty or disaster?

On Saturday, March 19, the moon will come closer to the Earth than it has in the last 18 years and it will be a full moon. It will light up the night sky from just 221,567 miles or 356,577 kilometers away. It is being referred to as a " Super Moon" or "Lunar perigee". Some are suggesting that it could cause massive damage to our planet.

In particular, Richard Nolle, a noted astrologer, who runs the website astropro.com, has famously called the upcoming full moon an "extreme supermoon." (Note: astrology is not a real science but rather makes connections between astronomical and mystical events.) He suggests that this moon will cause huge storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters. Nolle also lists a number of dates going back almost 60 years, which coincide with floods in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2011 – each 18-19 years apart. He suggests that on March 19, the Super moon cycle for this year will be at its closest, warning that further flooding is on the way.

Scientists have agreed that this idea is not as crazy as it might sound. The moon does cause the ebb and flow of the ocean tides and it's gravity can also cause small ebbs and flows in the continents, called "land tides" which are greatest during full and new moon. So the moon does stress the earth a bit however there has been no observation of a correlation between earthquakes, flooding and other natural disasters and that of full moons. Scientists also say that the gravitational pull of a Super Moon is not different enough from it's pull at other times to significantly cause the likelihood of natural disasters. Most natural disasters have nothing to do with the moon at all. The Earth has a lot of pent up energy, and most natural disasters are usually caused by releases of it anytime the buildup gets too great.

However with the recent earthquake and tsumani disaster in Japan, many are left wondering what really will happen on the 19th with the Super Moon. One thing is for sure, this will be an exciting time to to make the "Super Moon" observation a must to do that night to witness the celestrial beauty of the moon as it orbits the closest ever to our earthly home.

Photo : Nasa

March Full Moon Names From Different Cultures

Rain (Diegueno).
Bud Moon (Kiowa).
Eagle Moon,Rain Moon (Cree).
Green Moon (Pima).
Deer Moon (Natchez).
Moon of Winds (Celtic).
Lizard Moon (San Juan).
Death Moon (Neo-Pagan).
Wind Strong Moon (Taos).
Amaolikkervik Moon(Inuit).
Little Frog Moon (Omaha).
Little Spring Moon (Creek).
Crane Moon (Potawatomi).
Long Days moon (Wishram).
Big Famine Moon (Choctaw).
Moose Hunter Moon (Abenali).
Whispering Wind Moon (Hopi).
Little Spring Moon (Muscokee).
Fish Moon (Colonial American).
Snow Sore Eyes Moon(Dakota).
Catching Fish Moon (Agonquin).
Snow Crust Moon (Anishnaabe).
Spring Moon (Passamaquoddy).
Much Lateness Moon (Mohawk).
Chaste Moon (Medieval English).
Buffalo Calve moon (Arapaho, Sioux).
Seed (Dark Janic), Plow Moon (Full Janic).
Strawberry, Windy Moon, Lenten Moon (Cherokee).
Worm Moon, Sugar Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon. (Algonquin).


Video Creation :White Wolf Art Work : Ashlie Nelson Music Talven - The Wolf and The Light

Monday

The Cry of the Wild is a 1972 feature-length film that was shot and produced by Bill Mason. This film is a personal account of his time that he spent shooting his first film, The Death of a Legend, and covers over the span of three years. It takes place all over Canada and the wilds of the Arctic. Mason originally set out to prove that the myth of the bloodthirsty wolf was indeed completely false. It was during this time that Bill Mason became totally enamored with the big northern timber wolves and the pure white Arctic wolves.

Mason was able to relocate three young wolves to his own property. It was here that he was able to capture moments on film that had never been seen before outside the wilderness of Canada. He filmed pack behavior and hierachy and private moments of mating and birth when a litter of pups was born. What he discovered is that the wolves are a closeknit family unit who do everything for the welfare of the pack. They were extremely affectionate and playful with each and all took part in the rearing of their young.

This beautiful film was originally just intended to be released on a small scale in his home country of Canada. However, it was picked by an American distributer and launched in over 500 theaters around the U.S. where it did extremely well. As you view the "Cry of the Wild", you will also come to know up close and personal the magic of this normally elusive and magestic animal known as the wolf. And you will understand why the wolf must always be allowed to live among us as it takes it's place in the order of nature.


VIDEO Cry of the Wild

Sunday

Into Eternity is a documentary that was made in 2009 and is a very timely subject considering the current crisis that is taking place in Japan. The question of whether or not nuclear energy is worth the risks it places over the safety and wellbeing of our planet and it's inhabitants, both human and nonhuman, is at the very forefront of our thoughts these days. In Japan we are witnessing the fear and panic of a worst case scenerio unfolding before our very eyes. It is now time to make the ethical decision to stop this form of energy production for the safety of today's world and as the film shows the safety of future generations. Captivating, and extremely frightening, this video documentary takes us on a journey never seen before into a dark underworld and it's future.

Although we are now painfully aware of the dangers of a meltdown of a nuclear power plant do we ever give thought to what also happens to the high-level radioactive waste that is generated by nuclear power plants? Daily, throughout the world, large amounts of highly radioactive waste is deposited into interim storages, which are also very vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters, and changes in society. The film takes a look at the world's first permanent repository in Finland. This repository is being formed out of solid rock and is a huge system of underground tunnels. Since the radioactive waste remains hazardous for a 100,000 years, the repository must last that long.

Once the nuclear waste has been deposited and the repository is full, the facility must be sealed off, never to be opened again. But is this the legacy that we want to leave for future generations? How can we ensure that these deadly and ominous nuclear containment facilties aren't opened in the distant future unleashing a lethal Pandora's Box? We must ask and answer these questions now of how future generations will understand just what we have buried out of sight but never out of immense danger to them. While gigantic machines dig deep into the dark underbelly of the earth, experts above ground strive to find solutions to these concerns.

As this films shows with an urgent warning, the radioactive waste issue must be thoroughly addressed in order to secure the safety of mankind and all species on planet Earth now and in the near and very distant future. The waste is with us, there is no turning back.
This eye-opening documentary will make you very aware to the fact that we must all work together as a global community to ensure the survival of the world as we know it.


Awards INTO ETERNITY
-November 30th, 2010 Grand Prix FIFE. Paris France
-November 28th, 2010 IDFA Green Screen Award. Amsterdam The Netherlands
-November 7th, 2010 Special mention Sheffield Green award
-October 30th, 2010 Lichtpunkt Prize at festival des Libertes. Brussels Belgium
-September 29th, 2010 Nordisk Panorama Nordic Documentary Award. Bergen Norway
-August 8th, 2010 Special Mention at Docufest. Prizren Kosova
-May 17th, 2010 Planete Doc review Green Award. Warsaw Poland
--April 13th, 2010 Vision Du Reel Grand Prix. Nyon Suisse
-November 16th, 2009 Audience award CPH:DOX. Copenhagen Denmark
-January 2011 nominations / CINEMA EYE HONORS:
-Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography
-Outstanding Achievement in an International Feature Film
-Michael Madsen has received the ”Reel Talent 2010 Award” at CPH: DOX 2010 and a prize from The Danish Arts Foundation, The Committee for Film and Theatre for Into Eternity

Film Credits-PRODUCTION
Director and Scriptwriter: Michael Madsen
Producer: Lise Lense-Møller
Editors: Daniel Dencik, Stefan Sundlöf
Director of PHOTOGRAPY: Heikki Färm F.S.C.
Sound Design: Nicolai Linck, Øivind Weingaarde
Mix Tomas Arwe



Official Site

Friday

This is a stunningly beautiful movie with a strong environmental message to it. Alot of the movie is shot from above the earth through aerial scenes which are characteristic of film maker Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The movie is made up of a series of similar facts and figures and is beautifully illustrated by images of Earth.

The movie starts at the beginning of time when life on Earth first developed. It points out that although the Earth is approximately 4 billion years old and humans have only been around for about 200,000 years, we have in that short period of time had a greater impact than any other species. And shockingly in the last 50 years the Earth has been more drastically changed by humans than in all the previous generations of humanity.

Most of the current environmental hot-button issues are touched upon. The damage caused by humans is highlighted and the irrevocable consequences are pointed out if the trends are not reversed in the near future. These environmental hotbutton issues include Climate change and rising sealevels, Global (fresh) water shortages, Industrial farming, Fossil fuel dependency and depletion of minerals and natural resources.

All is not hopeless though. The movie does offer some solutions to save us from self-destruction at the end. Examples are shown of countries who have made the decision to reappropriate funds from current areas such as the military and move them into more ecofriendly areas such as renewable energy sources and eco-tourism. It does make the strong point however that mankind must be willing to take these steps now or soon there will be no turning back.


Watch Movie HOME (in English version)



Purchase Dvd Home

Tsunami warnings were sent out to at least 50 countries and territories after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan Friday afternoon. This earthquake could be registered as the 5th largest quake ever recorded.

The wide-ranging list under the tsunami warning includes Russia and Indonesia, Central American countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica and the U.S. state of Hawaii.

"The quake, which struck near the coast of Honshu, Japan on Friday afternoon, unleashed a wall of water that rushed in toward land, leveling houses and bashing cars in its path." - CNN news

Fears are that the fast-moving waves from a tsunami could be so high that they wash over entire islands in the Pacific ocean. Tsunami waves can move at a speed of 620 MPH.

Estimated Times of Initial Tsunami Arrival:
The following list gives estimated times of arrival for locations along the North American Pacific coast from a tsunami generated at the given source location. The list is ordered by arrival time starting with the earliest.
Since tsunami speed is directly related to water depth, tsunami ETAs can be computed independent of tsunami amplitude. THE LISTING OF A TSUNAMI ARRIVAL TIME BELOW DOES NOT INDICATE A WAVE IS IMMINENT. The listed arrival time is the initial wave arrival. Tsunamis can be dangerous for many hours after arrival, and the initial wave is not necessarily the largest.

Source:
Lat: 38.0N
Lng: 142.9E
Mag: 7.9
O-time: 0546UTC
Date: MAR 11

Tsunami arrival:

DART 21415 2348 AKST MAR 10 0848 UTC MAR 11
Shemya, Alaska 0020 AKST MAR 11 0920 UTC MAR 11
Attu, Alaska 0020 AKST MAR 11 0920 UTC MAR 11
DART 21414 0020 AKST MAR 11 0920 UTC MAR 11
Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak) 0034 AKST MAR 11 0934 UTC MAR 11
Amchitka, Alaska 0037 AKST MAR 11 0937 UTC MAR 11
DART 46413 0059 AKST MAR 11 0959 UTC MAR 11
Atka, Alaska 0116 AKST MAR 11 1016 UTC MAR 11
Adak, Alaska 0118 AKST MAR 11 1018 UTC MAR 11
DART 46408 0119 AKST MAR 11 1019 UTC MAR 11
DART 46402 0145 AKST MAR 11 1045 UTC MAR 11
Nikolski, Alaska 0159 AKST MAR 11 1059 UTC MAR 11
DART 46403 0219 AKST MAR 11 1119 UTC MAR 11
Akutan, Alaska 0224 AKST MAR 11 1124 UTC MAR 11
Dutch Harbor, Alaska 0228 AKST MAR 11 1128 UTC MAR 11
Unimak Pass, Alaska (80 miles NE of Dutch Harbo 0236 AKST MAR 11 1136 UTC MAR 11
St. Paul, Alaska 0239 AKST MAR 11 1139 UTC MAR 11
DART 46409 0300 AKST MAR 11 1200 UTC MAR 11
King Cove, Alaska 0303 AKST MAR 11 1203 UTC MAR 11
Sand Point, Alaska 0304 AKST MAR 11 1204 UTC MAR 11
Perryville, Alaska 0326 AKST MAR 11 1226 UTC MAR 11
DART 46410 0326 AKST MAR 11 1226 UTC MAR 11
Cold Bay, Alaska 0337 AKST MAR 11 1237 UTC MAR 11
Chignik Bay, Alaska 0357 AKST MAR 11 1257 UTC MAR 11
Kodiak, Alaska 0358 AKST MAR 11 1258 UTC MAR 11
Cape Suckling, Alaska (75 miles SE of Cordova) 0359 AKST MAR 11 1259 UTC MAR 11
Old Harbor, Alaska 0400 AKST MAR 11 1300 UTC MAR 11
Hinchinbrook Entrance, Alaska (90 miles E of Se 0409 AKST MAR 11 1309 UTC MAR 11
Seward, Alaska 0423 AKST MAR 11 1323 UTC MAR 11
Alitak, Alaska 0425 AKST MAR 11 1325 UTC MAR 11
Elfin Cove, Alaska 0425 AKST MAR 11 1325 UTC MAR 11
Kennedy Entrance, Alaska (40 miles SW of Homer) 0428 AKST MAR 11 1328 UTC MAR 11
Saint Matthew Island, Alaska 0433 AKST MAR 11 1333 UTC MAR 11
Cape Fairweather, Alaska (80 miles SE of Yakuta 0433 AKST MAR 11 1333 UTC MAR 11
Yakutat, Alaska 0433 AKST MAR 11 1333 UTC MAR 11
Sitka, Alaska 0433 AKST MAR 11 1333 UTC MAR 11
Salisbury Sound, Alaska (25 miles NW of Sitka) 0434 AKST MAR 11 1334 UTC MAR 11
Port Alexander, Alaska 0434 AKST MAR 11 1334 UTC MAR 11
the Alaska/British Columbia border 0538 PST MAR 11 1338 UTC MAR 11
Valdez, Alaska 0443 AKST MAR 11 1343 UTC MAR 11
Langara Island, British Columbia 0543 PST MAR 11 1343 UTC MAR 11
Cordova, Alaska 0452 AKST MAR 11 1352 UTC MAR 11
Cape Decision, Alaska (85 miles SE of Sitka) 0455 AKST MAR 11 1355 UTC MAR 11
DART 46419 0608 PST MAR 11 1408 UTC MAR 11
Homer, Alaska 0516 AKST MAR 11 1416 UTC MAR 11
DART 46404 0625 PST MAR 11 1425 UTC MAR 11
the north tip of Vancouver Island, British Colu 0626 PST MAR 11 1426 UTC MAR 11
DART 46407 0632 PST MAR 11 1432 UTC MAR 11
Craig, Alaska 0534 AKST MAR 11 1434 UTC MAR 11
Ketchikan, Alaska 0540 AKST MAR 11 1440 UTC MAR 11
Juneau, Alaska 0543 AKST MAR 11 1443 UTC MAR 11
DART 46411 0656 PST MAR 11 1456 UTC MAR 11
Tofino, British Columbia 0706 PST MAR 11 1506 UTC MAR 11
Gambell, Alaska 0606 AKST MAR 11 1506 UTC MAR 11
Prince Rupert, British Columbia 0711 PST MAR 11 1511 UTC MAR 11
the Washington-British Columbia border 0712 PST MAR 11 1512 UTC MAR 11
Neah Bay, Washington 0718 PST MAR 11 1518 UTC MAR 11
Clatsop Spit, Oregon 0719 PST MAR 11 1519 UTC MAR 11
La Push, Washington 0719 PST MAR 11 1519 UTC MAR 11
Cape Blanco, Oregon 0719 PST MAR 11 1519 UTC MAR 11
the Oregon-Washington border 0720 PST MAR 11 1520 UTC MAR 11
Point Grenville, Washington 0721 PST MAR 11 1521 UTC MAR 11
Port Moller, Alaska 0622 AKST MAR 11 1522 UTC MAR 11
Charleston, Oregon 0723 PST MAR 11 1523 UTC MAR 11
Douglas/Lane County Line, Oregon (10 miles SW o 0724 PST MAR 11 1524 UTC MAR 11
Cape Mendocino, California 0724 PST MAR 11 1524 UTC MAR 11
Cascade Head, Oregon (70 miles SW of Portland) 0724 PST MAR 11 1524 UTC MAR 11
Tillamook Bay, Oregon 0726 PST MAR 11 1526 UTC MAR 11
Horse Mountain, California (50 miles SW of Eure 0727 PST MAR 11 1527 UTC MAR 11
Fort Bragg, California 0728 PST MAR 11 1528 UTC MAR 11
Humboldt Bay, California 0729 PST MAR 11 1529 UTC MAR 11
Crescent City, California 0730 PST MAR 11 1530 UTC MAR 11
Seaside, Oregon 0731 PST MAR 11 1531 UTC MAR 11
the Oregon-California border 0731 PST MAR 11 1531 UTC MAR 11
Westport, Washington 0732 PST MAR 11 1532 UTC MAR 11
Point Arena, California 0733 PST MAR 11 1533 UTC MAR 11
Newport, Oregon 0733 PST MAR 11 1533 UTC MAR 11
Gualala Point, California (80 miles NW of San F 0735 PST MAR 11 1535 UTC MAR 11
Point Reyes, California 0746 PST MAR 11 1546 UTC MAR 11
Davenport, California (10 miles NW of Santa Cru 0747 PST MAR 11 1547 UTC MAR 11
Point Sur, California 0749 PST MAR 11 1549 UTC MAR 11
Astoria, Oregon 0751 PST MAR 11 1551 UTC MAR 11
Monterey, California 0752 PST MAR 11 1552 UTC MAR 11
Port Angeles, Washington 0755 PST MAR 11 1555 UTC MAR 11
Ragged Point, California (45 miles NW of San Lu 0758 PST MAR 11 1558 UTC MAR 11
DART 46412 0759 PST MAR 11 1559 UTC MAR 11
Point Concepcion, California 0805 PST MAR 11 1605 UTC MAR 11
Port San Luis, California 0811 PST MAR 11 1611 UTC MAR 11
Bella Bella, British Columbia 0812 PST MAR 11 1612 UTC MAR 11
San Francisco, California 0816 PST MAR 11 1616 UTC MAR 11
Cape Newenham, Alaska 0723 AKST MAR 11 1623 UTC MAR 11
Santa Barbara, California 0824 PST MAR 11 1624 UTC MAR 11
Rincon Point, California (15 miles SE of Santa 0835 PST MAR 11 1635 UTC MAR 11
San Pedro, California 0839 PST MAR 11 1639 UTC MAR 11
Santa Monica, California 0839 PST MAR 11 1639 UTC MAR 11
Newport Beach, California 0845 PST MAR 11 1645 UTC MAR 11
La Jolla, California 0848 PST MAR 11 1648 UTC MAR 11
Seattle, Washington 0851 PST MAR 11 1651 UTC MAR 11
Alamitos Bay, California (20 miles SE of L.A.) 0854 PST MAR 11 1654 UTC MAR 11
the California-Mexico border 0854 PST MAR 11 1654 UTC MAR 11
Hooper Bay, Alaska 0854 AKST MAR 11 1754 UTC MAR 11
Little Diomede Island, Alaska 0904 AKST MAR 11 1804 UTC MAR 11
Dillingham, Alaska 0946 AKST MAR 11 1846 UTC MAR 11
Nome, Alaska 1059 AKST MAR 11 1959 UTC MAR 11
Unalakleet, Alaska 1430 AKST MAR 11 2330 UTC MAR 11

Source

Japan earthquake - epicentre location
Quakes measuring up to 8.9 magnitude hit northern Japan
• Tsunami waves of up to 10 metres sweep away homes and vehicles
• Strong tremors shake buildings in Tokyo and spark major fire in Chiba
Source : Google Earth


Hawaii braces for first tsunami wave (From CNN )


Japan's 8.9 magnitude earthquake triggers tsunami - video

Tsunami also expected to hit Oahu, Solomon Islands, Chile see NOAA Pacific warning center map Weather Goverment

Live Broadcast From Hawaii

UPDATE : Photos of Tsunami from Reuters



UPDATE - March 12, 2011
A massive explosion on Saturday and feared meltdown at one of Japan's nuclear plants took place in the aftermath of the the devastating earthquake/ tsunami disaster that continues to raise fears and threaten thousands of lives. This explosion destroyed a building that was housing the reactor however the metal containers housing the reactor supposedly were not damaged. Radiation levels have however risen outside of the nuclear plant. Up to 45,000 people have been evacuated in the surrounding area in a 6 mile radius. Another environmental concern comes from the out of control fires at a major oil refinery just outside of Tokyo with the possibility of toxic chemicals being released down onto the city if it rains.

Here is the actual video of the explosion:


UPDATE March 12, 2011: Warnings : another big earthquake is imminent in Iwate, Miyagi,

Indonesia Embassy sends evacuation teams to Miyagi, Iwate.The Indonesian embassy in Tokyo said on its website it had sent two rescue teams to Miyagi and Iwate prefectures on Saturday at 02.00 local time.
"The Indonesian embassy in Tokyo sent two evacuation teams to Miyagi and Iwate on Saturday , March 12, 2011, to assist Indonesian citizens in the disaster areas," the website said.

Do Not Phone Japan or Hawaii- Please keep lines open for Emergencies
We offer prayers of love and safety for those who are in danger! Stay Safe

Wednesday

Stop the harp seal annual slaughter! (Petitions)

Every spring just off the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrabor in Canada, the pregnant Harp Seals flock to the ice floes to give birth to their babies. When they are just over 2 weeks old and getting ready to shed their baby coats, these adorable baby seals with their big black eyes and soft fluffy white coats have become the targets of the largest marine animal slaughter ever. This slaughter has gone on for over 20 years.

Up to 6,000 Canadian fishermen (mostly of European descent from Canada) make their way to the ice floes and proceed to club, bludgeon, shoot, and skin hundreds of thousands of baby harp seals. Last year in 2010, over 67,000 baby harp seals were killed for the acquisition of their pelts. The Canadian fishing industry has promoted this seal slaughter for the out of work fishermen in the off season. To fuel the fire, the Canadian govt. has promoted the myth that the reason for the (manmade) collapse of the highly profitable Cod fishing industry was actually due to the harps seals eating the fish. In fact the collapse was due to massive overfishing by man.

Once the sealers (who travel on snowmobiles and icebreaking boats) find the baby seals, the senseless horror begins. The sealers approach the babies and club them with 'hakapiks' (long sticks with a hooked blade at one end). After clubbing the seals, they are supposed to make sure they are dead before skinning them. However many times this is not the case as was proven in an analysis performed by a panel of veterinarians that showed about 40% of the seals are actually skinned alive. Approximately 95% of the seals killed in this commercial seal 'slaughter' are no more than 3 months old.

Canada has a long history of reckless disregard towards it's marine life starting with allowing the fishermen to wipe out the North Atlantic cod fishery. Canadian Fisheries Minister Gail Shea, continues to use Canadian tax money into trying to find oversea's markets for dead seals by traveling around the world peddling seal skins and other seal products. The European Union has issued a ban on all seal products however Canada continues to try to legally overturn this.

U.S. and European animal activists are promoting the Canadian seafood and tourism boycott as the only way to end this senseless slaughter. Harp seals can live up to 20 years if allowed to live out a natural life. Please take a minute to make a difference for these beautiful baby Harp seals by signing the petitions below.

Photograph by Norbert Rosing-National Geographic

SEAL PETITIONS :


1- Canada must stop it's senseless baby Harp seal slaughters. Read the facts on this petition.


2- Letter to Canada officials
 Prewritten letter to Canada's government officials asking them to stop the annual baby seal slaughter because it is senseless,cruel and totally inhumane.





VIDEO
Baby Seal from winter on Vimeo.

The magnificient Polar Bear is the largest terrestrial carnivore found on earth. It is a ferocious predator with the amazing ability to survive in some of the harshest artic climate imaginable. It's Latin name "Ursus Maritimus" means 'sea bear' which is aptly applied since the Polar bear spends so much of it's life around and in water, mostly on the sea ice. Polar bears are excellent swimmers, but their preferred habitat is on the sea ice. That is where they mate, hunt and rear their young.

Because Polar Bears are so dependent on sea ice this also makes them very vulnerable to climate changes which affects the ice. Sea ice is the very foundation and indicator of how the artic ecosystem is doing. And as the Artic warms through global warming the sea ice then declines.

This has a very detrimental effect on the Survival of the Polar Bear because it has to swim much longer distances between ice floes. When the edge of the ice retreats more and more the Polar Bear must follow it to find it's food source of seals and other prey. If they become stranded on land they must live off of their stored body fat during the summer. With the decreasing ice habitat, the bears are also left with less time to find food and face a grave threat to their survival.

At the current rate of global warming, scientists predict that there will be no ice in Hudson Bay by 2080. We as responsible humans must do all we can to eliminate the causes of global warming by making changes in our daily, corporate and worldwide decisions.
If we do not, the beautiful and majestic Polar Bear will then be found only in books and zoos. As with so many wonderful animals on earth, their very existence is in our hands.

Photograph by Norbert Rosing -National Geographic

The Polar Bear Petitions :

1-Tell President Obama to save the Polar Bears by reining in Global Warming. This will help prevent the melting of the sea ice and keep the Polar Bears from starving and drowning because of it.

Save the Polar Bear - Center for Biological Diversity

2- Ask President Obama to upgrade the status of the Polar Bear from threatened to the endangered list within the Endangered Species Act due to the projected melting of the sea ice.

Put Polar Bears on the Endangered Species

UPDATE
A prewritten letter to ask Senators to continue to protect our polar bears and other wildlife in the ESA but striking down any antiwolf riders in the Senate. Passing these would open up attacks on all wildlife currently protected under the ESA.
Congress v. The Environment : The Polar Bear


The polar bear is threatened with extinction. These images of polar bears at large could soon become history.

Tuesday

International Women's Day is a major day of global celebration of women and is marked on the 8th of March every year. This year is special because it honors the 100th anniversary of the the first International Women's Day in 1911 which started in Germany.

The day is celebrated around the world and ranges from a day of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements. In some countries it is actually declared a public holiday.

Woman represents the foundation of family and community. It is through her that we learn the values that bring balance into our lives.

The cycle of life for the woman is the baby, girl, woman, and grandmother. These are the four directions of life. She has been given by natural laws, the ability to reproduce life. The most sacred of all things is life. Therefore, all men should treat her with dignity and respect. Never harm her mentally or physically.Treat women in a sacred manner.


A man who looks first to a woman's outer beauty will never know her beauty divine, for there is dust upon his eyes and he is blind. But a man who sees in a woman the spirit of the Great One and sees her beauty first in spirit and truth, that man will know "Divinity" in that woman.


All women in the world are like the different colored flowers of one meadow. All are beautiful. As children of the Creator, giver of life and source of all human life they must all be respected.


Many women seeking a spirituality that embraces and honors the feminine principles of creation and natural balance have claimed the Goddess for their own. The glorification of the Divine Feminine is of crucial importance. For a spiritual rebirth, we have to see the Divine Mother in every woman and honor Her .


Woman is a miracle of divine existence,the matrix of the cosmos

The old ones speak of woman as a magical, mysterious bird which has paused in its flight for a moment in order to give man hope and purpose; men live under the wing of that bird, which they call the bird of wisdom, the bird of freedom.


Treat women in a sacred manner. The Creator gave women the
responsibility for bringing new life into the world. Life is sacred, so
look upon the women in a sacred manner.If she cannot bring new life ,trait her also in the same manner ! Women are sacred !All men should treat her with dignity and respect.


Treat every woman from the tiniest child to the oldest one with respect at all times. Always treat a woman with honor and consideration.


The hurt of one woman is the hurt of all women, the honor of one woman is the honor of all women. Show honor and esteem for all women! Consider and treat them with deference or courtesy


When woman speaks Listen her with your heart.Never speak about woman in a negative way.

Beautiful Quotes To Honor Woman

★ A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform. - Diane Mariechild

★ The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world.
Charles Malik, former President of the United Nations General Assembly

★ Wild is the Woman who rides on the wind of her thoughts for a better life.
Chased by a river of music, washed by a song of love, she shines in the light.
Eagles will soar in the skies, as wolfs will howl at the moon for woman’s journey.
For she is the gypsy upon the mountain top in the story she will tell.-Casey

★ There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.-Washington Irving

★ You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, but she is beautiful because you love her

★ A woman can say more in a sigh than a man can say in a sermon.-Arnold Haultain

★ A nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground. Then it is finished, no matter how brave its warriors or how strong their weapons.
Lakota Proverb

★ maybe it is her birth
which she holds close to herself
or her death
which is just as inseparable
and the white wind
that encircles her is a part
just as the blue sky
hanging in turquoise from her neck
oh woman
remember who you are
woman
it is the whole earth
Joy Harjo-Creek - "The Blanket Around Her"
---------------------------------
There’s still a lot of physical abuse and violence towards women on this world
So NEVER FORGET She is the source of life ! She is the Earth Mother
So powerful is the light of a Woman that it can illuminate the whole earth.





Happy International Women's Day

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